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Connectify Switchboard ditches original server plans, is available now for $90
Remember that Connectify Switchboard Insert Coin we featured just over a week ago? Well, we'd like to say we're sorry to hear it's been canceled -- but we're not. Why? Because a high amount of interest from people preferring to use their own computers as servers, has resulted in a change of plan. The result is that the product is available right away, and will no longer use cloud servers. This change means the need for investment has gone, evaporating the need for Kickstarter, too. This also means you can use the service as a private VPN, and always appear as if you're surfing from your home PC -- along with that speed-boosting channel bonding tech, of course. To sweeten the deal even further, if you purchase access to the beta program now ($90), then you'll get lifetime updates and support. After the beta, the price rises to $100. Better fire up that those internet connections, stat.
Insert Coin: Connectify Switchboard bonds all your internet connections into one
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. When we last saw Connectify, it had brought its Dispatch internet connection combining software to Kickstarter, doubled its funding goal and launched the product into market. However, customers using it said they wanted more than the web browsing and BitTorrent streaming speed-ups the load-balancing app provided, and were looking for so-called connection aggregation tech that'd allow quicker video streaming, VPN access and Skype calls, too. As a result, the company has just launched Switchboard, a cloud based app that combines all your internet connections but appears as only one IP address. To make it work, the company built new software from scratch and put together a network of cloud servers across the world. The result is a "channel bonding" system that Connectify says will speed up all your online activities: Dropbox or SkyDrive uploads and downloads, Google Hangout video conferencing and video streaming from the likes of Netflix, to name a few. A quick test of the beta software on our end has worked seamlessly so far, requiring just a software installation and two or more internet connections (two ADSL lines in our case). On top of speeding everything up as promised, we also noticed that our IP address appeared as that of the server we were connected to instead of our local one, which could be a bonus for those trying to access US internet from abroad. Connectify's looking to grab $100,000 in funding this time around, with pledges starting at $50 -- so if you're looking to finally click that "HD" button on Vimeo, hit the source.
Connectify Dispatch now available, melds all our internet access into one speedy link (video)
Clearly, there's a lot of us out there who like the idea of blending multiple connection types: in the wake of a better than expected Kickstarter run, Connectify's Dispatch is ready to download. As promised, the app unifies as many cellular, Ethernet and WiFi connections as a computer can muster, whether it's for a simple speed increase or a quick handover if one or more links goes down. It's also smart about bandwidth use, tracking usage and prioritizing connections to avoid using that heavily capped mobile data plan until it's absolutely necessary. Only Windows users get to boost their internet for now, although Connectify is hoping for Android, Linux and Mac ports in 2013.
Insert Coin: Connectify Dispatch lets you put all your internets together into one big internet (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. If you've ever thought "Hey, my internet is pretty slow, maybe I can get a second line and combine them into one big, zippy connection!" then you're not alone -- those of us who are broadband-deprived need all the help we can get. But a quick tour through Google will show you the difficulty of doing that process, called "bonding," at home. So, Connectify has proposed Dispatch, software that lets you easily combine your WiFi, ethernet and 3G/4G into a single, fat pipe, at a reasonable cost. The company brings along wireless sharing know-how from its Hotspot product to the project, and promises that with every connection you combine, you'll get a corresponding bump in throughput. Also, the system will automatically failover to a good connection if one goes on the fritz, and even switch automatically between WiFi and 3G/4G to maximize speed and save money. To prove the tech, the company combined all the available open WiFi networks in a neighborhood along with a tethered Verizon mobile phone, and were able to create an impressive 85Mbs connection, as the video below the break shows. So far, Connectify has vacuumed up $30K for Dispatch toward the $50K objective, with about two weeks left. So, if you're desperate for more speed, or just want to trump your neighbor's bandwidth by stealing his WiFi and melding it with your ADSL, check the source to see how to pledge.
